


night sky in your eyes

by minouribia



Series: October Prompts [5]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Soulmates, season 6
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:27:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26851417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minouribia/pseuds/minouribia
Summary: In a world with a thousand ways to determine soulmates, it can be difficult to determine which signs to look out for.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan
Series: October Prompts [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1950595
Comments: 2
Kudos: 59





	night sky in your eyes

**Author's Note:**

> Nearly got this up on time, but my cat had other plans. Very tragic.

In a world with a thousand ways to determine soulmates, it can be difficult to determine which signs to look out for. 

For some, it’s as easy as a timer on their wrist or a glowing trail leading them together. For others, it’s a matching mark that appears after their first kiss or the last words they ever say to each other. 

It can be stressful to always worry over what it might be. It can be maddening in some cases. It can be all consuming. 

It's less stressful when you lose all faith in the concept and accept that it's not something meant for people like you. 

Regina Mills has loved people over the years, but never have any of the signs happened to her. Or maybe they have and she never noticed. They can be easy to miss. 

But even if there was never a sign, pixie dust led her to a soulmate once and their romance was perhaps the most short-lived of them all. 

Another lover. Another person dead in front of her. Another person who is dead for loving her. 

She’s better off on her own, without a soulmate. Everyone is better off when she’s alone. 

Perhaps life is dull, but dull is better than painful. 

* * *

She has… _feelings_ for Emma. She has admitted that much to herself. 

Anything else would be too much. 

It’s a passing infatuation that will hopefully be forgotten soon. But then again, passing infatuations usually don’t last years. 

* * *

“I’m happy for you. I really am.” 

Maybe dull isn’t painless, maybe dull is pain that’s creeping up on you, ready to pounce at the worst moment. 

They always say being stabbed by blunt objects hurts worse than sharp ones. 

She should know better by now. She should know that feeling anything but platonic love for anyone is a death sentence waiting to happen.

Nothing good could come out of her less than friendly feelings for Emma Swan. 

* * *

Regina doesn’t have much experience with weddings, but this one, the one that’s supposed to be happy and joyful, has the same tension in the air as the others. 

Which is quite interesting seeing as the only weddings she’s attended are her own horror of a union and Snow’s where she declared her curse.

“Which of these seating charts do you think looks best?” asks Snow, shoving an open binder in her face. In truth, they look near identical, but it wouldn’t be productive to inform Snow of that. 

“The left.”

“Thank you so much, Regina. I don’t think this wedding could’ve worked without you.” 

* * *

“You look beautiful,” Regina says, voice soft and so steady it’s painful. 

Emma looks at her through the mirror with curious and surprised eyes. “You really think so?” she asks as if she can’t comprehend anyone genuinely complimenting her. 

Regina swallows the boulder in her throat and fights against the tears itching just under the surface. “Yes.” 

Emma tries to smile and Regina tries to do the same, but neither of them are very good at it. For different reasons, of course. 

Cold feet is a world away from… unrequited love. 

Because that’s what this is, isn’t it? Love. There’s really no denying it when she feels the empty space left by a cracked heart. 

“Could you help me…?” Regina’s eyes flick up, meeting Emma’s questioning eyes in the mirror. She nods, slowly walking up behind her. 

Her hands hesitate, ghosting over the zipper. The final piece of her outfit. The final piece before it all comes crashing down. 

It has already though, hasn’t it? 

Regina swallows her pride and her emotions and her objections, and she pulls the zipper up as Emma asked. Slowly. Maybe too slowly because without warning, Emma lets out a strangled gasp. 

“Emma?” She pulls away in an instant, as if it’s a spinning blade, and her face falls just as fast. “Emma, are you okay?” 

She doesn’t react. She stands there frozen, a statue so petrified not even Medusa could replicate it. 

“ _Oh_ ,” Emma whispers to herself in realization. “Regina.” 

“Emma?” she repeats softly. Emma turns to look at her with wet eyes and newfound knowledge. “Emma?” 

“You wrist,” she whispers. Regina frowns, uncomprehending. “Look at your wrist.” 

Regina does and it’s— it’s glowing pink. There’s what looks to be a tattoo there now, a crown that’s glowing a light shade of pink. 

It’s strange, but she has an impossible idea in the back of her mind.

Hesitantly, Regina searches Emma’s wrists only to find her flower tattoo with a similar pink glow. 

“How?” whispers an awed Regina. 

“I’m not sure.” Both of them look up from the tattoos, their eyes meeting. “I’m not sure why now and not earlier, but I, uh,” Emma falters, her courage slipping quickly, “I realized something.” 

“You did?” 

“Yeah,” Emma croaks. “I wasn’t sure about this wedding from the start, so maybe that should’ve tipped me off, but now I know. This isn’t what I want.” 

“What do you want, Emma?” 

Emma smiles, small and self-deprecating, lowering her gaze to the floor. “You know, I can count on one hand how many times I've been asked that.” 

“Emma—” 

“No, it’s okay.” 

“It’s really not.” 

“Okay, maybe, but that’s not the point right now.” Emma takes in a deep breath. “The point is, this wedding was a mistake. If it was really true love, I wouldn’t have to convince myself to feel happy.” 

Emma meets Regina’s eyes again, and there’s a galaxy in those green eyes. Time stops as they stare at each other, as they take each other in fully for the first time in years. 

“You said you realized something?” says Regina, voice hoarse. 

“Yeah, I did,” she says. “It’s… I’m not sure how to say it. I’m… conflicted.” 

“Don’t overthink it.” 

Emma lets out a nervous chuckle. “I’m not sure I can do that. It’s…” 

Regina loosely grabs her hand, linking it with her own, letting the glow of their tattoos mesh and grow even stronger as they’re united. Everything she's come to accept about the world is crashing down around her, but maybe it's better this way. “Whatever it is, I’ll still be here.” 

“You can’t promise that.” 

“I can."

“If you don’t know what it is you can’t promise that.”

“Yes, I can.” 

“But what if it’s something that changes your view of me?”

“Then I’ll deal with it, but I’m not leaving.” 

“You really can’t promise that.”

“I can and I am.” 

“I love you.” 

“And I love you too—” Both of them freeze and stand there with an inability to do anything but breathe for a long moment. Regina recovers first. “Do you…?”

“Do I mean it?” Emma rasps. Regina nods once. “I do. And you?” 

“Every word.” 

Nothing. 

And then everything. 

* * *

Kissing Regina Mills is not something Emma Swan ever expected to happen. 

But regret is the furthest thing to what she feels with Regina’s lips on hers. There’s excitement for the future, complete and utter love for the woman, and desire to take this even further, but regret is nowhere in sight. 

For once, things are alright. 

It’s alright when they’re parting for air and it’s alright when Regina swaps kissing with burying her face in the crook of Emma’s neck. It’s more than alright, it’s downright wonderful. 

“How long do you think we have until they start looking for me?” 

She can feel Regina smile against her neck. “Definitely not long enough for whatever you’re thinking.” 

“Get your mind out of the gutter. I’m not—” 

“Emma? Are you ready yet? It’s been a while,” says Snow, opening the door without warning. 

“Told you so.” 

Emma rolls her eyes. “Yeah, yeah.” 

“Emma? Regina? What are you two doing?” 

“Uh, Mom… I don’t think the wedding is happening.” 

Snow gawks. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” Emma glances down at her wrist that’s no longer glowing, “he’s not my soulmate. But more importantly, he’s not my choice.” 

Snow stares for another beat longer until her mind kicks back into gear. “Are you saying that…" Her eyes flicker between them, "Regina is your choice?” 

“Yes.” 

Tension in the air grows with every passing moment of silence. 

“Well, in that case, we definitely need to call off this wedding. Or do you want to get married now and save the effort later?” 

It’s Emma’s turn to gawk. “Huh?” 

“If you do want to, what Regina’s wearing could probably pass as a wedding dress. Or we could quickly pick one up. But if not, that’s okay too. We can pack up all of this,” she continues. 

“What…?”

“Thank you for the offer, but we’re going to have to decline, Snow. As fun as that would be, I think it’s better if we date for at least a day before getting married.”

“I mean, you two kind of have been dating for a while without knowing it. Henry likes to call it gal pals.” 

“Don’t you have a wedding to call off?” Regina snarks. “And stop involving my son in your shenanigans.” 

“For the record, Henry’s the one who started it,” Snow says over her shoulder as she leaves. 

Emma shakes her head in amusement. “You know, we’ll have to go out there too at some point.” 

“Not if we make a run for it.” 

“We are not running away.”

“Fine,” Regina says with a dramatic sigh. “If they start mobbing us, I’m going to teleport away and leave you to the piranhas just so we’re clear.” 

“I’d expect nothing less from you.” 

“Hush, we have an audience to greet.”


End file.
